PSU

CBS’ Gary Danielson savoring final season of career

He's been the lead college football analyst for any network that's paid him for the past three-plus decades, and Gary Danielson's fan-focused, pragmatic approach has been the key to that ongoing success.

Danielson, the No. 1 game

analyst for CBS Sports, opened his 36th and final season last week as Penn State romped over Nevada -- and he'll probably see the Nittany Lions in person at least a couple more times this season.

No matter the game or location, though, his preparation remains consistent.

"I've always done it the same way," says Danielson, who has Oklahoma State-Oregon this week. "I start out like I'm putting a puzzle together, the easy parts and edges first. Then you just keep working."

For Danielson, game weeks begin by creating his two-deep game charts and then verifying the pronunciation of player names. He has access to notes and stories about the teams, plus the CBS broadcasters have their own interviews and production meetings later in the week.

Much more content exists than what Danielson had a decade ago, let alone two or three decades. Even with all that information, he often relies on his gut and his own approach and relationships.

Danielson appreciates hard work. He went to the NFL after playing at Purdue, and there was no expectation that he'd play 13 years as a pro QB -- most of them with his hometown Detroit Lions.

Still, he's been a better broadcaster than quarterback, otherwise he would not have lasted this long, or earned the assignments he has. He's been with CBS Sports since 2006, and before that with ABC/ESPN (1997-2005).

He's largely covered the Big Ten and SEC, along with assignments like the Army-Navy game and some bowl games.

Every game is a step closer to more time with his grandchildren and the golf course. Still, Danielson, who turns 74 on Sept. 10, takes pride in what he's done, no regrets.

"My whole career's been a fight, and I've worked hard to improve," he said. "I've learned from everyone I've worked with, and I don't think anybody could've had it better in their career."

Corso conclusion

ESPN and College GameDay did everything right with the farewell to analyst Lee Corso.

Maybe it seemed like a lot to some, but the former coach, his entertainment mindset and his headgear picks helped the pregame show achieve the cultural relevance it did during the past 38 years.

Plus, Corso's likeability and personality endeared him to colleagues, so they were happy to invest in a big sendoff.

Most impressive was the final moments of the finale when Corso made his pick live inside Ohio Stadium.

The moment was shared with those in attendance, and most seemed quiet and respectful. Also, the Ohio State marching band spelled out CORSO on the field.

Stadium stuff

Another season opener at Beaver Stadium, and another season when the gameday production seemed, at best, in preseason form.

It always takes a couple of games for the production team that coordinates the video boards and supporting action on gameday to get things ironed out, so the hiccups were not a surprise.

At the same time, there are only seven regular season home games each season and there's an entire offseason to plan and practice.

This year's fumbles included the usual inconsistent sound in parts of the stadium, along with sloppy on-screen production for those video boards.

There were also some public address live mic moments, and, as always, no commitment to sharing out-of-town scores.

It might not have been a positive response to the final score of Texas-Ohio State, but that result should've been shared. Even if better wifi in the stadium means more fans can access scores, there's something to be said for some shared information and response in a setting like that.

Penn State did a good job promoting the Jan. 31, 2026, hockey doubleheader at Beaver Stadium. That news was released a few days before the Nevada game and while some knew, not everyone in the stadium did. So, sharing it was important for awareness, energy and marketing.

Notable

– ESPN dutifully noted that Lee Corso made Ohio State his last headgear pick, which resulted in his 287th victory. By comparison, he had 73 Ws in 15 seasons as a college football head coach at Louisville, Indiana and Northern Illinois.

– ESPN's Greg McElroy has picked Penn State to reach the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. He's also tabbed coach James Franklin as one of the coaches facing the most pressure this season.

– Anthony "Spice" Adams, the former defensive standout for the Nittany Lions who went on to the NFL and a media-related career, was recently named grand marshal for the Penn State homecoming parade in November.

– Oklahoma is selling access to its postgame news conferences this season. Fans can pay to attend the typically media-only sessions. Last week it was $461.61 for two people, and it sold out. For Sept. 6 vs. Michigan the price is $692.11, and that's a little less for Auburn on Sept. 20 ($576.86).

Sampsell covers the broadcast end of Penn State football for Gameday. He can be reached at stevesampsell@gmail.com

Worth watching

Iowa at Iowa State

Noon Saturday, FOX

Oklahoma State at Oregon

3:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS

Michigan at Oklahoma

7:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC

Boston College at Michigan St.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC